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How can this man give us His flesh to eat?

In several recent debates on the Holy Eucharist, my Protestant interlocutors were trying to claim that Jesus actually meant this at the Last Supper:

“This is NOT my Body …….”
“This is NOT my Blood …….”

But the underlining question being asked is this:

“HOW CAN THIS MAN GIVE US HIS FLESH TO EAT?”

My response to my Protestant interlocutors:

Don’t you find it ironic that you are asking the same questions the unbelieving disciples asked in John 6:66, while they were grumbling among themselves?

It is very difficult to explain when you do not have the Eyes of Faith that they also don’t have. John 6:60 “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” Isn’t it here that Judas fell away? My opponents are asserting the same thing as those in John 666.

These opponents where trying to convince me that the blessed and broken bread was to be understood “Spiritually.” Ok I said. So why doesn’t Jesus say:
“This is my spiritual body ….” “This is my spiritual blood …..” Again I retort that Jesus didn’t say that because He wasn’t speaking of a spiritual body or blood.

What exactly did Jesus say? It was like pulling teeth to even get them to quote the very words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper.

By not responding, I was sadly watching them kill their witness to Christ Jesus.

Matthew 26:26-28 NASB

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” [27] And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; [28] for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

Mark 14:22-25 NASB

While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” [23] And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. [24] And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. [25] Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 22:17,19-20 NASB

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; [19] And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” [20] And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.